Content Rich Blog

In our previous article on forum marketing, we detailed about what a forum is and how to do forum marketing. In this article, we will impart further tips you can observe when doing forum marketing.

Do Not Troll a ForumNetizens in general despise trolls and forum users are no exception. As such, be honest about who you are and what you do. Some basic ways to do so can include the following:

Use your real name when you register so as to brand yourself and get people to recognise you as an expert easier.

Fill up your profile with as much detail as possible.

Include a decent picture of yourself to boost credibility (if the forum allows it).

Be Humble & HelpfulWhen you are new to a forum, do not jump straight into posting on threads. Instead, carefully examine the content of the forum - threads, posts and topics of discussion. Once you are comfortable with question or topics of threads, you can start posting answers in a humble, generous and genuine manner. After some time, when you have built your credibility, you can start new threads (eye catching ones) of your own.

In addition, avoid flaming (attacking, insulting) other forum members even if they do it to you to avoid being banned. If you are unhappy with the way other forum users treat you, report it privately to the moderators (people who govern the forums) of the forum.

Avoid Appearing Like a SalesmanDo not simply post advertisements or promotions for your or your merchant’s website/product unless there is a specific section/thread on the forum for you to do so because this is considered rude and will usually be removed by moderators. In worst case scenarios, doing so excessively may even get you banned from the forum. Occasionally post links to websites, videos, blog posts or resources that can be useful to other members of the forums and include a disclaimer that says, “Not my affiliate link. Just wanted to share…”.

Appear Like an ExpertAnswer posts you can offer great value to; be picky and choose only posts/threads you can really give good answers/value to.If some posts/threads appear weird or ambiguous to you, do not hesitate to ask questions to the person who posted it so as to verify clearly what it’s about. When you are crystal clear about the thread/post, then answer it.

However, avoid posts you are uncomfortable with at all costs. This to prevent you from looking unintelligent and losing credibility.

Proofread your Post Before PostingAfter you have written your forum post, ensure that you preview it first before publishing it to the forum. Read the post carefully to look for grammar mistakes such as tenses, sentence structure or even wrong use of word. In addition, conduct a spelling check before posting. Most forums will have these functions so do not hesitate to use them.

The above are just some useful tips you may wish to consider when embarking on forum marketing. While forum marketing can be a great source of traffic for your website, you do need to ensure that it is done right to avoid trouble with other forum users and worst still, the moderators (who may ban you).